Red Sox DFA 44-year-old Hill, call up RHP prospect Guerrero

BOSTON -- Just 10 days after 44-year-old Rich Hill kicked off his fourth stint for his hometown Red Sox, the lefty was designated for assignment before Friday's 3-1 victory over the White Sox, possibly marking the end of a career that lasted two decades.

In somewhat of an ironic twist, Hill was moved off the roster to make room for righty Luis Guerrero, who spent part of his childhood living in Boston and rooting for the Red Sox. This is the first stint in the Major Leagues for the 24-year-old Guerrero, who was one of the hardest throwers in Boston’s farm system this season at Triple-A Worcester. He is rated as the No. 28 Red Sox prospect by MLB Pipeline.

“I think it’s more about Guerrero than anything else,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora of the roster moves. “He’s throwing the ball well and throwing a lot of strikes, generating swings and misses. And we felt like it was time to get him here. With Rich, obviously, it’s a tough one. Everybody feels about him that he's part of the organization. You know, he's gonna be a Red Sox for life. But I think it’s more for us to start getting guys here that can contribute now and obviously in the future.”

Hill took a self-imposed break from baseball for the spring and summer, as he coached his 12-year-old son Brice’s Little League team. Hill kept his left arm in shape, and the Red Sox brought him back to fortify a pitching staff that had been besieged by injuries and inconsistent performance since the All-Star break.

On Aug. 29, Hill retired all four batters he faced and struck out two of them in his first appearance of 2024. That made Hill the only active player in the Majors to make at least one appearance in each of the past 20 seasons.

“It’s pretty special,’’ Hill said that night of the milestone. “I think just effort and work. Everybody asks, 'What’s the secret?' It’s work. Just keep putting in the days, one drop in the bucket every day.”

Hill’s second appearance was also a good one, as he got four outs and didn’t allow a baserunner at Detroit on Aug. 31.

The next day, even though Cooper Criswell had a perfect game for four innings with the Red Sox holding a 1-0 lead, Cora opted to bring in Hill to face a pocket of left-handed hitters. That outing didn’t go well, as Hill walked leadoff batter Kerry Carpenter in a tough 12-pitch plate appearance.

Two batters later, Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer, and the Red Sox were on their way to the start of a five-game losing streak they snapped on Friday night against the White Sox.

In Hill’s fourth and final appearance on Wednesday night against the Mets, he tried to get closer Kenley Jansen out of a mess in the bottom of the eighth, but instead walked a pair of batters with the bases loaded.

Cora doesn’t think Hill’s swift ramp-up back to the Majors played much of a role in his struggles the last two outings or in the club’s decision to move on.

“If you talk to him, it was just about not throwing strikes, right? He looked good the first one here, and then the Carpenter at-bat was a good one. And then he gave up the homer,” Cora said. “The last one, he wasn't able to throw strikes. And like I said, there's more about Guerrero, adding a good fastball to the bullpen, a good split, and see where it takes us. He’s throwing the ball well. Maybe that can help us over the next [three] and a half weeks.”

If this ends up being it for Hill in the Major Leagues, he will finish with 386 appearances (248 starts), a 90-74 record, a 4.01 ERA and 1,409 innings.

He will remain the gift that keeps on giving for Immaculate Grid players. Aside from his multiple stints for the Red Sox, Hill also pitched for the Cubs, Orioles, Guardians, Angels, Yankees, A’s, Dodgers, Twins, Rays, Mets, Pirates and Padres.